Edifice 2009

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Image 1 & 2: Edifice. 2009. Production stills. Single channel projection with sound.

 

Edifice, referring to the figurative (a complex system of beliefs) and the formal (a large, imposing structure) understanding of the word, is a piece about the juncture where two apparently disparate characters meet, the place where their histories cross over. An architect of a building that was never fully realised and the president of the UFO society of Ireland who used this building for sky watches.

Edifice is the place where the histories of Jim Fehily, the architect of the Moylurg Tower, and Betty Meyler, president of the UFO society of Ireland, meet. Fehily speaks of the places he visited that inspired his design for the development of the Lough Key Forest Park in the early 70’s. His designs for the tower were never fully realised.

Betty Meyler tells us about her experiences and paranormal knowledge of the region surrounding the Boyle area, recounting a sighting incident on a Skywatching evening in the Tower.

In the absence of the representation of the architects full intention, this place has almost become a none place and acts as a blank canvas for others, like Betty, to project their own ideals and utopias.

The research for this piece entitled Re-imagining the Hierarchy of Monuments was recently published in the Architectural Association of Ireland’s journal “Building Material”, issue 19.

Info

Biography

Linda Shevlin has curated, facilitated and managed both large and small-scale visual arts projects including the 53rd Venice Biennale where she was project manager for the representative artists Gareth Kennedy & Sarah Browne and is Tulca Festival curator for 2018.

In 2017 she was the invited curator for the Hennessy Art Fund, purchasing new works for the IMMA collection and also curated the visual art programme for Bealtaine Festival 2017/2018 where she developed projects, commissions, residencies & exhibitions. with numerous Irish artists including Vivienne Dick, Kathy Prendergast, Kevin Gaffney, Pauline Cummins and Frances Mezzetti.

In 2016 she curated Radical Actions at RMIT Galleries, Melbourne as part of Culture Ireland’s 2016 International Programme ‘I Am Ireland’. The exhibition featured works by Duncan Campbell, Jesse Jones, Kennedy Browne and Seamus Nolan.

Other recent independent curatorial projects include Americana: Future Rural featuring John Gerrard (IE), Brian Duggan (IE), Kim Shively (USA) and M12 Studio (USA) at The Dock, Leitrim and Amharc Fhine Gall X commissioning Ella de Búrca, Ruth Clinton and Niamh Morriarty.

She has been awarded the Arts Council of Ireland’s Visual Arts Curatorial Residency award for three consecutive years (2013 – 2016) and in that time has produced a series of events and exhibitions in County Roscommon including newly commissioned works by Maria McKinney (IE) and Sean Lynch (IE); public art projects by Sean Rafferty (AUS), Ruth E. Lyons (IE) and Deirdre O’Mahony (IE), exhibitions by Martin Parr (UK), Duncan Campbell (IE) & Eamon O’Kane (IE) and a symposium titled The Workers with contributions from Adam Sutherland of Grizedale Arts (UK) & M12 Collective (USA) among others.

Shevlin is currently curator in residence with Roscommon Arts Centre & Solstice Arts Centre.

Contact

Linda Shevlin
Tivanagh School
Cloonloo
Boyle
Co. Roscommon
Ireland
 
linda@lindashevlin.com
+353 86 605 2571
+353  71 966 4606